


Apologies For Our Memories

by QueenOfNewOrleans22



Series: The Silent Cries [13]
Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Forgiveness, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Old Friends, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25502872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22
Summary: Izzy says sorry, Steven is his usual self, and Duff and Slash have a moment of thought.
Relationships: Duff McKagan/Slash
Series: The Silent Cries [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823191
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Apologies For Our Memories

"Slash- man, are you alright?" Duff sounded concerned. It was a tone that suggested exactly what Slash had craved his entire life, love, but also made his stomach twist and heart beat like a drum that had no stop because it was Duff's default tone whenever he talked, and Slash hated it, knowing that he was the one who'd got them caught up in this mess. As much as that claim would be denied, Slash knew it was true. Oh, how much he loathed the truth, the remembrance of the amount of times he could've ran away from the whole mess but he didn't and now he was here, scared and scarred and felt so internally alone. "Yeah. Let's just not talk about it." Slash replied, his tongue thick and heavy inside his mouth. The words sounded odd to his own ears, but Slash couldn't bring himself to care. Duff moved his hand so that it was on Slash's cheek, rubbing circles beneath his right eye, and it was a comfortingly familiar gesture. Years had passed since that first gentle touch, and it was still as wonderful, still as kind, despite the fact that it felt so odd. They were men, rock stars, two people who created chaos and used to sneer at such romantic gestures, but now they were older, and even back then, young and hiding feelings that they didn't quite know how to deal with, hands and _touching_ felt good. "Are you sure?" Duff asked. He was always so selfless, so considerate. In this world, that was more of a curse than a blessing. Slash swallowed and nodded shakily. "I think you've waited long enough." More than long enough. Duff had always put Slash before himself, and there would be no repaying that debt. No 'thank you's' could ever suffice. Slash would gladly spend the rest of his life repaying what Duff had done, hell, even what Izzy had done. 

Freezing in place, Duff shook his head very slightly. "Stop saying shit like that. You don't owe me anything, and goddamn, if I waited, what, eight, nine years for this moment, then I can wait another few." Duff said firmly. Strands of blonde hair fell into his eyes, temporarily obscuring his intense, dark gaze. Slash leaned foward, pressed a kiss against Duff's shoulder, rested his forehead against his lover's neck, gathering his courage. Duff was the only person who could make him feel so shy. "No, I want this. Just give me a minute." Slash took a deep breathe. He did truly want this, more than anything, but it scared him a little. 

A lot of things scared him. 

Duff was humming. It was a familiar old tune, something from the 60s, and it was nice. It almost seemed to give life to the minute that Slash took to think, and it made him smile, not fully, just a little smirk, to hear that tune. Duff had hummed the same song the exact night they first spent in bed together. Not sexually, but it was still so nice, even if the memories were fuzzy and hazy at best. "You're my best friend." He whispered. Duff laughed softly, "I'm glad you feel the same." He was sitting still, awaiting what might happen next, and Slash remembered the night in which he looked at Duff, so bright, so magnetic, and thought that he was handsome, and loving, and the exact kind of person that Slash wanted. Not then, young and dumb, but now, an adult, but still dumb. 

Lifting his head, Slash kissed Duff with as much passion and power as he could, entangling his hand in Duff's soft hair. Duff moaned, and his hands went to Slash's waist, gently tugging off his jacket, lifting his shirt, briefly pulling apart so that the shirt could be pulled up and over Slash's head just as they resumed. Duff was far more intoxicating and addictive than any drug or alcohol, and Slash craved him, urged for his touch, and that's exactly what he got. 

It was the best night either of them had. 

====

Steven was happy. He _sounded_ happy, so cheerful and full of life, and Izzy found himself smiling like an idiot by the end of their conversation, laughing and nodding along even though Steven was miles away and couldn't see him. "I missed you, Iz. I miss Duff and Slash, too, even though I talk to Slash very few days or so. I haven't seen any of you guys in so long, it's crazy. Is it bad that I don't miss Axl?" It was a nervous question, like Steven was afraid of being rebuffed for such a simple inquiry. Izzy thought about his former friend, who, now that he thought about it, was probably off, terrorizing whoever has made the poor mistake of joining the band after they'd left. "No, not at all." Izzy said. "I don't miss him, either. He wasn't a good person for any of us to be around. And, if you want, I'll ask Duff to call or something. Hey back in touch." The words held so much more than they said, but Izzy didn't care to tell Steven any more about what had happened. Steven hadn't noticed anything about the situation that they'd been stuck in, and maybe that was for the best. 

"Oh, good. I'd like that." Steven said casually. Izzy could almost imagine him, a wild haired blonde with his feet propped up on the table, chatting away without a care in the world. "I always thought something was off, you know, with him and Slash, but I was a bit too busy getting drugged up back in those days to dig into anything." Oh, so he'd noticed, just not completely. Izzy picked at a loose string on his shirt, hoping to distract himself. Remembering what Axl had done to Slash only mad who's blood boil and anger rise up and bubble like boiling water. "Eh. That's for another day. Listen, Stevie, I'm sorry for not reaching out sooner. I'm sorry for...everything." Izzy has never been good with apologies. He was too awkward, too blunt. Apologies never came out right, never sounded genuine. But Steven only laughed, brushing it off. "What are you talking about? We're both guilty for not reaching out. There's no reason to be sorry, don't worry about it, Iz." 

Steven hadn't changed so much after all. He was still so kind, so sweet, and Izzy, now that he thought about it, couldn't have asked for a better friend. 


End file.
